Voltage Control in Distribution Network via Vehicle-to-Grid Concept: Implementation and Experimental Validation in a Microgrid Laboratory

This chapter presents an analysis of electric vehicle (EV) characteristics and charging equipment within real distribution networks (DN). The primary objective is to develop a voltage control technique for low-voltage DN connection points utilizing fast electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The experimental validation is carried out in the microgrid laboratory of the University of Cuenca, which includes integration of an EV charging station in the real DN, emulated by a programmable three-phase load from an accurate EV charging profile and a bidirectional inverter connected to a storage system with a lithium battery. In addition, a MATLAB routine integrated with SCADA facilitates reactive power control for the bidirectional charging station using a proposed vehicle-to-grid algorithm. The study concludes that the proposed method effectively regulates voltage within prescribed limits while minimally impacting battery discharge, thus ensuring the longevity of the EV’s storage system.